Expanded-metal manufacture.



NA E. CLARK. EXPANDED METAL VIAIJUFCTUREY APPLICATION FILED @3.15. 1915.

Patented Apu 2%-, 1917.

UNITED entre NRRIS ELIMRE CLARK, OF ELAINVILL'E, GGNNECTICU'T.

'Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr@ 24, 191i?.

'Application led February 15, 1915. Serial No. 8,354.

Vented new and useful Improvements in EX panded-Metal Manufactura followingy is a specification.'

My invention relates to a process or method of forming reticulated metal having corrugated or grooved ribs, beams or tension of which the members. u

Thek main object 1s to provide a simple .method of forming such a fabric sothat it 'A mer ap llcation.

will have a uniform character of meshwork .with relatively small openings and strands so arranged as to aford a maximum reinforcementeand bonding effect and at the' same vtimeeto avoid the setting up of disadvantageous internal stresses.

The preferred form of product is illustrated in my' 'application #480,976 filed March 2nd, 1909, now Patent :#1,128,659 dated February 16, 1915, and this application is a partial continuation from said for- Brie yl considered the process herein claimed contemplates the formation of the product by first slitting sections of a sheet, leaving parallel 'unslitted portions and then simultaneously bending or folding the unslitted portions into trough-shaped form and thereby bending the strands of the slitted sections toform the meshworl.

The preferred form of slitting is illus tratedin my Patent #979,180but it should be understood that Iconsider that other arrangements of slitting maybe `employed for instance, as shown in; my Patent #1,086,027. According to the method herein set forth each slitted section is expanded in opposite .directions from its center so that y the strands lie edgewise relative to their original plane, the strands on 'opposite sides of the center being inclined in opposite dir,.ctions.

Fi re 1, is an end view showing the stock slitte as shown in my Patent #979,130 and showing dia rammatically mechanism for bending or olding the unslitted portions andthereby opening the meshwork with the Strands on opposite sides ofk the center inclined edgewise in opposite directions. f i

Fig. 2, Y, is an end view of the finished product.

The stock is first slitted by suitable nechav msm in. the desired arrangement along the sections 5,5 leaving broad unslitted portions or sections 6, 6. In the form shown the slitting produces relatively narrow liendable strands suoli as 7 7. According to the method of siitting'illustrated in my Patent #979,130 these strands are cut successively from the stock inthe slitting operation so that the strands are inclined somewhat in opposite directions on opposite sides of the center 8 of the slitted section asshown in Fi. 1 hereof.

terl the slittingoperation, the unslitted :portions are bent or folded. into channellike or trough-shaped form by suitable mechanism. In. the form of mechanism illustrated herein jaws 10, 10 are hinged or pivoted together at 11 to a number of vertically mov-- able slides 12. These slidesand the jaws carried thereby Vare held pressed upward'by a spring 13 and the jaws normally lie open as shown. The cam faces 14e, 1li are adapted to Aswing the `iaws toward each other as the jaws are forced downward. A vertically movable punch member or die 15 having the desired shape of the interior of the rib to he formed is mounted over eachv pair ofv jaws. There is also preferably' mounted midway l betr/reen adjacent dies 15, 15 an abutment 16 adapted to coact with the center of a slitted section., This abutment is preferably vertically movable relative to the dies 15, 15 being pressed downward by a spring 17.

In operation, a sli'tted sheet is inserted between the upper and. lower dies andthe upper' dies more downward. The dies 15, 15 engage the centers of the nnslitted portions and frce them toward the corresponding 'pairs of folding jaws. Theedges of the jaws support the edges of the unslitted portions as the centers of the unslitted portions are moved downward. continued downward movement of the dies 15, 15 forceslthe' jaw carriers downward and thus causes the jaws to be folded Vtoward each other, which folding action folds the edges` of the unslitted i i folding of the unslitted portions carries their edges upwardly out of their original plane relative to their central` portions. The fold ing of the ribs and the opening of the meshwork bring the edgesk of the ribs and the',

' of the slitted section to move longitudinally.

and outer edges of `the unslitted minimum strain in the fabric.

strands on edge relative to the original plane of the stock, the inclination of the edges of the ribs corresponding to the inclination of the strands attached thereto. The opposite sides of each rib are inclined in opposite directions and similarl the strands between adjacent ribs are inclined in opposite directions on opposite sides of the center. This relative an lar relation permits the bending action of t e ribs and strandsto take place with a minimum application of force and a A central abutment 16 facilitates the uniform turning of the strands on edge in opposite directions on opposite sides.

It 1s preferred that the center of the slitted section 5 be provided with a central unslitted strip or portion as in my a plication #480,976. When the stock is slltted along diagonal lines it will be necessary to permit this central strip to move longitudinally relative to the unslitted' portions 5, fduring the expanding action. In fact force may be applied by the mechanism to move this central strip longitudinally to facilitate the expanding action.-

When there is a' central unslitted strip at the center of the slitted section it may be advantageously ribbed or folded into channel-like form by the coaction of -a diel 18 and the abutment 16. This draws the sides ofthe central unslitted strip so that -they are substantially parallel with the edgewise inclination of the strands attached thereto. In this way the strands are allowed to bend in a natural manner without being strained. The centers of the expanded sections may be carried into the plane of the edges of the deep ribs by movement of the members 18 and4 abutments 16 relative to the dies 15 and jaws 10.

With the slitting as shown in m'y Patent #1,086,027 it is unnecessary for the center Such a fabric can be expanded by folding the unslitted portions progressively in a Series of bending rolls.

The product shown in F ig. 2 may be still further expanded by laterally movable jaws or by passing it through diverging rolls or guides so as to obtain a product of greater width than the original stock if desired.

What I claim is 1.- The improvement in the art of making expanded metal which includes first slitting portions of a sheet in staggered arrangement to form inclined bendable strands and leaving broad unslitted portions, said strands being inclined in opposite directions on opposite sides of the center of the section between the unslitted portions. then forming relatively deep parallel trough-shaped ribs by engaging the centers ortions and folding the sides of said portions out the l ing meshwork with the strands of halves thereof arranged in opposed angularity between the folded members.

3. The improvement in the art of making expanded metal which includes slitting sections of a sheet in staggered arrangement and leaving uiislitted portions, holding portions of the slitted sections on op osite sides of an unslitted ortion and olding the edges of the uns itted portion to form a rooved beam member and thereby carrying the'attached edges of the slitted sections out of their original plane to form meshwork.

4. The improvement ,in the art of forming expanded metal which includes forming a plurality of rows of relatively short slits leaving strandsI connected in staggered arrangement .in a section of a sheet and leaving relativelybroad unslitted rtions at opposite edges of the slitted sectlon folding the broad unslitted portions to form beams and moving their edges out of their ori inal plane in advance of the center of t e slitted section and then moving the center of the slitted section into the plane of the edges of the beams.

5. The improvement in the art of making expanded metal which includes first slitting sections of a sheet in staggered arrangement so as to produce bendable strands and leaving broad marginal and intermediate narrow unslitted portions, then folding said nnslitted portions into alternatedeep and shallow channels facing 1n opposite direc.

tions and moving adjacent ed s of adjacent unslitted portions into di erent lanes thereby producing open meshwork an then bringing the edges of all of said channels' into a common plane.

6. The improvement in the art of making expanded metal which includes first slitting a section of a sheet to form narrow inclined bendable strands connected together inA staggered relation'between broadl unslitted portions, the strands being inclined in opposite directions on opposite sides of the center of the slitted section and then simultaneously bending the unslitted Iportions into channel-like form and thereby ending the strands and stretching meshwork so that the strands at the opposite sides of the center of the. meshwork by opening the opposite halves of the slitted section in opposite directions away from4 are arranged inclined edgewise 1n oppositel directions in a common plane.

Y. The method of forming a, ribbed eri? panded metal product from a sheet having longitudinal unslitted strips and an intervening slitted expansible section which comprises folding the longitudinal unslitted strips to form grooved beams or ribs and at the same time holding the central'part of the intervenin l the edges of said unslitted strips and therethe center thereof. 8. The method of forming a ribbed expanded metal product which comprises first slitting a section between longitudinal unslitted strips so as tov form strands .inclined in opposite directions away from the center of said section and then folding the unslitted strips and thereby stretching the f slitted section in opposite directions away from the center of said section to form meshwork with strands inclined edgewise in opposite directions Vin the two halves thereof.

9. The method of forming' a ribbed ex panded metal product from asheet having longitudinal unslitted strips and an intervening slitted expansible section which comprises vfolding the longitudinal unslitted strips and moving lthe edges' thereof from the plane of the central part of the intervening slitted section yto form "grooved' beams or ribs and at'the same time holding the central part of the intervening slitted section relative to the edges of said unslitted strips and opening the opposite halves of the. slitted' section in opposite directions away' from the center thereof, and then bringing the central part of the slitted seci tion and the edges ofthe un`slittedk strips into a common plane. r i

10. The method of forming a ribbed expanded metal product which comprises first slitting a section between longitudinal unslitted strips so as to form strands inclined in opposite directions away lfrom the center of said section and thenfolding the unslitted section relative to' slitted strips and moving theedges thereof out of the pla-ne of the center of said slitted section thereby stretching the slitted section in opposite directions away from the center of said section to form meshwork with strands inclined edgewise in opposite directions in the two halves thereof and bringingthe central part of the slittedfsection and the edges of the unslitted strips into' a common plane. g I

11. The method of forming a ribbed expanded metal product whlch comprises slitting a jsectiono a sheet in staggered arrangement,l leaving?,l un'slitted strips at each.' yside thereof, moving:y the center of the slitted ,sectionlout of the plane.A of the adjacent edges o f the unslitte'd-strips in one direction, then moving said'edges in the opposite `direction away from l.the center to. open the slitted section. f I 12. The method of forming a ribbed ex'- panded metal product which .comprises slitting a section of a sheet in staggered arrangement, 'leavingv unslitted strips at each side thereof, moving the center of,l the slitted section out of the plane of the 'adjacent edges ofthe unslitted strips in one direction, then moving said edges'in the opposite moving alternate unslitted strips in one direction outlf the'original plane of the stock, and movirigthe adjacent edges Aof theremaining strips in the opposite direction out of, the original plane to open the slitted secvtions and form meshwork and then moving ginal and interiorl unslitted strips, -then all the slitted sectionsinto a common plane.

NoRRIs ELMoRE CLARK' Witnesses:

R. S. ALLYN, E. BRADFORD. 

